Derail device



H 19, i938., w. K. WILBUR DERAIL DEVICEv Filed March 28, 1955 2 Sheets-rSheet l April 19, 1938. w. K.A WILBUR' y 2,114,950

' DERAIL DEVICE Filed March 28, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gi,

Ai [uw 21.111,5'N

Patented Apr. 19, 1938 UNETED STATES QFFICE Application March 28, 1936, Serial No. 71,163

3 claims.

'I'he present invention relates to a derail device which is particularly adapted for location at a desired point along a track rail, and can be moved from point to point easily. Devices of 5 this type are advantageous lin railways which are shifted from time to time, as in mines and at industrial Works.

One of the features of the present invention is the provision of a derail comprising a structure fixed relative to the rail, and a pivoted` structure which may be swung` into position above the rail or which may be displaced therefrom to permit free passage of a car, the movable part being located outside of the rail when in nonoperative position, so that it may be easily and quickly swung toward operative position by a workman without this workman being obliged to move any portion of his body over the rail. 1

Another feature of the present invention isthe provision' of a derail device comprising a wheelreceiving ramp with a guide wall Afor causing the wheel to be deected relatively outward in derailing, in association with a further guide member for preventing the wheel returning onto the rail.

A further feature of the `invention is theprovision of a derail structure having ramp means for receiving the wheel whereby to cause the rail, with guide means for deecting the wheel outwardly relative -to the rail and inclined on the derail structure for causing the weight of the vcar to determine a continued outward movement of the wheel after it has left the guide means.

With these and other features as objects in view, as will appear in the course of the `following specication and claims, an illustrative form of practicing the invention is shown on the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view'of the derail structure in its operative position one rail.

Figure 2 is ra side elevation of the same from the outer side of the rail.

VFigure 3 is an end elevationof the same, showing the car yrail in position vraised above the track rail.

Figure fl is an upright transverse section sub,- stantially on line 4--4 of Fig. 1, ShoWingvthe car wheel on the inclined discharging surface.

Figure 5 is a plan vview of the fixed or base block with portions of the Irail -being .shown in section.

Figure 6 is an end elevation corresponding to wheel flange to be elevated above the top of the,

(C1- gaf-iw that of Fig. 4, but with the movablel block in nonfoperative position.

In these drawingsjthe derail device is illustratedas comprised v4of a base block or member yl5., a pivot pin'P', and a movable member or rocking block' R; this assembly being held in posi- 'tion byV a Vwoollen wedge W.

The base member comprises a floor portion IQ which is receivedagainst the base of the rail (Figs. 3, 4 and 5) and isY provided at the inner face of therailwith the upwardly and inwardly extending lug Vstructure 'IIfor engaging over the innerlange of the rail foot. This floor is stiffened by the ilanges lila, Ib which extend over the structure II`to lreinforce the base member beneath and at the inner side`of the rail. At the outer side ofy the rail, the base block B is provided with an upstanding structure comprised lof a smooth wall I2 extending from end to end andhaving the outwardly projecting ribs I3 constituting pilasters orwebs for stiffening the up- Vstanding structurel A't the top' of the wall I 2 -and pilasters I3 are provided integral inwardly eiit'ending noses I4 which provide ledges for engaging the wedge block. The upper surfaces `I4a of' these noses are preferably inclined downwardly and inwardly at a small angle (Figs. 3 and 6). 'I'he two inner noses I4 are stiiened by a. swubst'antiallyhorizontal web`l5, and the 'corresponding inner pilaste's are joined by an upstanding rib I6, so that the structures are stiffenedv and adapted for `the employments as described hereinafter. The wall I2 is cut away adjacent the outer pilasters I3 (Fig. 2) for receiving the ears `2 0 of -the rocking block R.

The pivot pin P is illustrated as formed by a threadless bolt having a hole adjacent its end for receiving the .cotter pin CP.

`The 4rocking block vrR is made substantially symmetrical about an upright .transverse plane. 40 At each end, itis provided with .a ramp portion 2| which Vin operative position rests upon the top Iof the .track Irail TR (Figs. 3 and 4), and fhas .its inner face closely Vin alignment with ,the

corresponding inner face of the track rail TR. .#455 Each end lof the rocker block also has a wall ,22 extending horizontally from the ramp portion 25| at a low llevelcompared with the upper sur- @face thereof; and preferably .the vertical spac- .ng :between the upper surfaces of `the ramp 50 member 2| andthe horizontal wall 22 is such .(Fig. 3) that.the wheel ange does not `ride upom this wall 22, while the wheel is riding up on .the ramp 2I. At the outer edge of the hori- `lz ontal vval1g22, isprovided the guide wal1r23 which ,55

is inclined relatively outwardly and has a slightly curved portion at its immediate length constituting a transition to the corresponding guide wall 23 at the other end of the structure. Further, the outer face of the guide wall 23 is inclined downwardly and outwardly to provide a better engagement for the inner face of the car wheel flange. The upper surface of wall 22 rises (dotted lines, right-hand end, Fig. 2) to the oor level 25 which extends substantially horizontally for a distance between the adjacent ends of the ramp members 2|. At the outward portion of the rocker block R, this oor is joined by a downwardly and outwardly inclined surface 26 which extends substantially at the level of the top of the rib member i5 at its lower margin. This inclined surface 28 is cut away centrally to permit the rocker block R to be rocked between operative and inoperative positions without interference by the rib I6, thus providing the spacing between the ears 20.

It will be noted (Fig. 1) that the two guide walls 23 provide a guide portion which in horizontal plan has the form of a broad V, and generally that the structure is essentially symmetrical about a transverse plane substantially at the point designated by the reference line 6 4.

The adjacent ends of the ramp members 2| are brought to a substantial point, the surface 2|a of each being curved slightly toward parallelism with the guide member 23 to afford ample clearance for the flanges of the car wheel; and the other side 2lb being given a greater curvature so that the nose Zic is relatively inward lof the central point of the V-shape-d guide structure 2li-23 and hence of the position assumed by a car wheel which has been deflected by the guide wall or member 23 at the other end of the device, thus operating to prevent re-railing of the wheel.

At the lower side of the rocker block R, it is provided with flange portions 3D extending from end to end of the ramp members 2| and engageable with the outer face of the rail to prevent twisting about a vertical axis upon impact of the car wheel with the rocker block; and also to confer strength and stiffness against forcesl operating vertically, and operates in conjunction with the guide walls or portions 23 for this purpose. This flange 3S is joined by small stiffening flanges 3| which connect also with the ears 28.

One of the advantages of the aforesaid arrangement is that thc` base block B and the rocker block R may each be formed of an integral casting, the several parts cooperating to confer the necessary strengh as well as to assure a proper functioning.

In operation, when the device is in the position of Figs. 1 4, ready for the operation of derailing, the wheel CW of an approaching car encounters the ramp member 2| with its tread portion and rises thereon. The flange of the car wheel encounters the relatively high guide wall 23, and thus the wheel as a whole is deflected into the position CW1 (Fig. l.) and is carried to a position above the top of the track rail TR and then brought down upon the floor 25. This oor is very narrow at the midlength of the illustrated device, so that the iiange of this car wheel tends to run downwardly and outwardly along the inclined surface as iilustratively shown by the position CW2 of this car wheel in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. Normally, with a level rail, the car wheel leaves the rocker block without encountering the surface 2H). However, even in abnormal cases, and

especially when the rail is tilted so that the surface 25 is not presented at a proper incline for the gravitational discharge of the car wheel, the car wheel cannot be re-railed, as its iange engages the surface 2lb of the other ramp member which thus operates as a further guide for effecting a definite derailing. The relative position of the nose 2|c of this other ramp member assures the definite engagement of the surface 2lb with the outside of the car wheel flange.

It will be noted that the same action occurs with the car wheel approaching from the other direction. Hence it is possible to locate the present structure on the outer rail of a curve, regardless of the direction in which trafc may be moving.

When it is desired to permit a car or trip of cars to move past the derailing structure, the workman need only grip a projecting wall 22 and lift and swing the rocker block R into the position shown in Fig. 6. For re-engaging the member, the workman grasps the rocker block R in its position of Fig. 6 and gives it an upward and inward swinging movement. It will be noted that the pivot point is such that the workman need not bring his hand, foot or other part of his body to the track gauge line in order to accomplish this; and hence he is protected against accident hazards of being struck or crushed by an approaching car.

The device as assembled is placed upon the track rail at a desired point by sliding the floor plate i@ beneath the track rail and engaging the lugs over the inner foot portion of the rail.

A wooden wedge W is then driven in from the direction opposite that from which the traffic will normally approach. This wedge s constructed to bear downwardly against the outer foot portion of the track rail TR and upwardly against the noses I4, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3; thus operating to draw the floor plate lil tightly against the bottom of the rail base; and, in addition, the block is constructed to close'- ly iill, and usually to have a slight wedging action, between the web of the track rail TR and the adjacent surface of the upright wall I2.

This base block B, further, is characterized in interchangeably supporting the car stop structure of the copending application of Samuel Clarke, Serial No. 37,406, filed August 22, 1935;

and the car skid support as illustrated in Figs. ll and 12 of the copending application of Charles A. Warden, Serial No. 53,818, led December 10, 1935; and reference is made to these copending applications as indicating other manners of employing this base member.

It is obvious that the invention is not limited solely to the form of construction shown, but that it may be modified in many ways within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A derail head comprising a flat plate-like body portion adapted to rest upon a rail and having upstanding therefrom a broad V-shaped derailing ange disposed with the base of the V transversely of and laterally-outwardly of the rail center and the legs of the V extended inwardly of the rail, a lift ramp centered on the rail in spaced relation to each V-ange leg and adapted for lifting a wheel fiange onto said body portion, the opposed ends of the ramps being definitely spaced from each other and the base of the V-flange to provide well defined intervening horizontal oor portions and upstanding from said flat body portion to constitute rerail preventing means, and

of the rail, a lift ramp centered on the rail in` spaced relation tceach V-flange leg and adapted for lifting a wheel flange onto said body portion, the opposed ends of the ramps being definitely spaced from each other and the base of the V-ange to provide well defined intervening horizontal floor portions and upstanding from said fiat body portion to constitute rerail preventing means, said opposed rampI ends each includingan outwardly inclined wheel ange deecting surface and a receiving nose disposed adjacent the innermost edge of the rail, and means for secur- 0 ing the body portion upon a rail.

3. A derail head comprising a plate-like body portion adapted to rest upon a rail and having upstanding therefrom a broad V-shaped derailing flange disposed with the base of the V transverse- 1y o-f and .directed laterally-outwardly and the legs of the V extended inwardly of the rail, a lift ramp centered on the rail in spaced relation to each V-flange leg and adapted for lifting a wheel ange onto said body portion, the opposed ends of the ramps being definitely spaced from each oth-er and the base of the V-flange in-a common line disposed parallel the rail center and inwardly of said V-flange base and upstanding from said body portion to constitute rerail preventing` means, means for securing the body portion upon a rail including a base having hinge means formed thereon -and provision for gripping a rail, and an outwardly and downwardly directed Wheel flange guiding portion extending from said body portion carrying hinge means operatively connected with said first-named hinge means.

WILLIAM K. WILBUR. 

